


two is better than one

by exyjunkies



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Karaoke, M/M, andrew is not having it but also having some of it, neil is a softie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 21:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13866759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exyjunkies/pseuds/exyjunkies
Summary: The Foxes have a karaoke night!





	two is better than one

**Author's Note:**

> this is also posted on [my tumblr](http://exyjunkies.tumblr.com/post/171514590152/two-is-better-than-one) <3 the song can be found [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW3RspM7v9M) or [here](https://open.spotify.com/track/1MaqkdFNIKPdpQGDzme5ss?si=59OunD-WThCeGBsjsQQwEw)!

Dan’s eyes gleamed. “You all know how this works, people. Person who gets the highest average of scores gets the biggest pot of all ongoing bets. Person with the lowest average of scores gets locker room cleanup duty."

From his spot on the couch, Andrew tried to keep his impatience to the bare minimum - a spark that was hardly there, but could lash out and become a fire at the slightest blunder.

Seeing how Neil was in this moment, though. How alive, how human, how  _real_  he was. That definitely helped Andrew keep it together. Neil nudged Andrew’s vodka nearer towards him and smiled. _Thank you for being here_. Andrew narrowed his eyes in response.

Never mind the fact that karaoke was something Andrew privately swore never to do even once in his entire life. He had the music taste of three and a half CDs and he never really found it in himself to care more. He had wanted to punch Nicky the first time it was suggested for a team bonding. He and Neil had opted to skip the first one, but there was no leaving this one, especially when it seemed like Neil wanted to be there.

Of course, he knew that Dan, who was making everyone choose their songs and reserving them on the machine, wasn’t brave enough to coax even one note out of him. Andrew took a pretzel from a nearby platter and munched on it.

Poring through the list of songs given to her, Dan said, “Nicky? You already sang this one. You’re not supposed to repeat the song you did last time. That’s just practically cheating.”

Pouting, Nicky took back the songbook from Dan. “Fine,” he huffed. “I really don’t know what I’m feeling tonight, though. Am I a pop punk princess? A disco queen? We have yet to find out.”

Dan turned to Neil, who was sipping quietly from his soda. Andrew flicked the back of his head to catch his attention, and nodded in Dan’s direction. He stopped sipping when Dan lifted the songbook up in question.

“Oh no,” Neil said. “I can’t sing.” Andrew raised an eyebrow at Neil’s tone.

“Like hell you can’t,” Dan retorted, rolling her eyes. “You’re going to. Think of it as taking one for the team.” She side-eyed Andrew, who made no gesture of acknowledgement. She rolled her eyes. "That's the spirit."

“As long as no one attempts falsetto again,” Aaron piped up, making Nicky roll his eyes. “ _That_  was a particular hell to get through.”

Dan’s tone remained insistent. “Neil, for crying out loud. You should try living every once in a while _—_ ”

“Now, Dan,” Matt put a hand on her shoulder. “The night is still young. Maybe Neil will be convinced after a few of us put on our best performances.”

It  _was_ only a few minutes before 10 PM. Andrew had to give them credit for starting this right after their home game. Allison put together quite the spread for them at the Tower’s basement, with the additional procurement of a karaoke machine and television set.

“I’ll go first,” Renee volunteered, making a grab for the karaoke’s remote and inputting a few numbers.

“ _Pocketful of Sunshine!?_  Talk about a cop-out.” Matt leaned back against the couch, ruffling Renee’s hair. “You’ve never been one to try new things, anyway.”

Renee shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for the classics.”

The night went on with the team (except for Neil and Andrew, naturally) getting more drunk with every song rendition. Andrew failed to understand what was so appealing about half-assed song renditions, but if it meant all the world to Neil to be there, then he supposed he’d take whatever was due for him and sit through the entire night. Besides, it was (admittedly) sort of entertaining watching the Foxes make fools out of themselves, minus the actual harm. Bowls of chips were passed around, and someone got up to refill the pizza platter with more pizza from the box every once in a while.

What was frustrating about Allison’s karaoke machine was that it was a picky kind of critic. It somehow gave the better scores to the ones that did songs with belting parts and more frequent pitch changes. No one among them was a good singer. Even Andrew had to scoff a bit at Nicky getting an 85 for forgetting but still shitting his way through the entire second half of  _Edge of Glory_.

Allison got a 91 for her more or less on-point attempt at  _Bedrock_ , while Dan got an astonishing 73 for her trying out  _Love Story_. Aaron and Kevin got a 69 for their halfhearted  _Use Somebody_ , which earned a snicker from Nicky.

Matt got a 94 for his soulful Daughtry cover, which earned a lot of whoops from the crowd. Andrew looked over to Neil, who was laughing at something Dan said and clapping.

“How the _hell_ do you beat this thing, man,” Kevin protested into the microphone, flipping through the songbook. His finger was dragging down the song titles, perusing his options. He was well on his way towards his normal level of wasted.

“You beat it by being at your best, Day. _Not_ by being a drunk and sorry loser,” Allison replied, grabbing the microphone from him and looking around thoughtfully. Her eyes landed on Neil, who looked back with a blank stare. Her gaze turned somewhat predatory. “Your turn, lover boy.” She handed the microphone over expectantly.

“Is there a ‘pass’ option?” Neil tried, grabbing the songbook and making a face.

“You can pass when you’ve sang once,” Dan replied, making a show of being comfortable in Matt’s lap. “Try to beat Matt’s score too.” Matt wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

Neil looked over at Andrew helplessly. Andrew only shrugged in return.

“You were the one who wanted to hang out with them,” Andrew said, which got him a pointed look and a sigh from Neil.

“Fine,” Neil said. “But I’m only singing something I know from Matt’s playlist.”

“Which one?”

“This one,” Neil mumbled the numbers to himself and took the karaoke remote from the table. “I remember you playing it one afternoon and it really stuck with me.”

The words _Two Is Better Than One_ flashed on the screen. Andrew stiffened, and sat up straight to cover it up. Neil seemed to sense it, and he squeezed Andrew’s knee reassuringly. It did nothing to calm Andrew’s already speeding heartbeat.

Allison walked back into the room with a fresh bottle of vodka, which Kevin grabbed immediately. After shooting a disgusted face at Kevin, she took a look at the screen and said, “Boys Like Girls? _Damn_. Didn’t know they still made music though.”

“One of the best bands in our lifetime, honestly,” Matt said solemnly.

Nicky cooed and made a show of wiping a tear from his eye. Even Aaron started showing interest, putting his phone down and looking expectantly at the screen.

Andrew didn’t even know the song. He shifted in his seat and braced himself for Neil’s first few lines.

_I remember what you wore on the first day_  
_You came into my life and I thought, “Hey,_  
_you know, this could be something.”_

Andrew was trying his best not to react with every inch of his body. Instead, he put his chin in his hand and took a generous swig of vodka to calm himself down. _Neil Josten could actually fucking sing_. He tried to focus instead on the blades underneath his armbands. Not like Neil was good at it or anything, no. But how his voice cracked at certain parts and how he regulated his volume with his pitch – for someone who hasn’t done this before, Andrew was impressed. And a bit turned on.

“Neil’s not bad at this, I’ll tell ya that,” Allison muttered approvingly, followed by a few whoops from Dan. Neil’s lips curled up gratefully.

_'Cause everything you do and words you say,_  
_You know that it all takes my breath away_  
_And now I’m left with nothing_

The rest of the Foxes, except for Andrew, joined in the chorus. Aaron, who was probably drunk enough to be able to do just about anything, called Katelyn and held his phone up. Neil was trying his best not to laugh into the microphone, probably aware of just how much money was at stake.

“ _But there’s so much time to figure out the rest of my life, but you’ve already got me coming undone,”_ Neil sang, side-eyeing Andrew in the process. Andrew grit his teeth, reached out, and forcibly made Neil face back to the screen, earning him a smirk and another knee squeeze.

“Ooooh, now it’s Taylor’s part!” Nicky yelled. “My favorite verse, if anyone cares.”

_I remember every look upon your face_  
_The way you roll your eyes, the way you taste_  
_You make it hard for breathing_

Matt looked over at Andrew and yelled, “Andrew, in case you’re wondering, Neil’s singing about _you—”_

“No one asked, Boyd.”

Neil stopped singing at this point to say, “Yeah, well, Andrew knows I care about him, and that’s more than enough, so— oh! _I think of you and everything’s okay, I’m finally now believiiiiiing.”_

As everyone began singing the chorus again, Andrew breathed in through his nose. Neil admitting out loud to everyone that he _cared_ about him? Neil singing a song that implied just that? Maybe the universe really did hate him today.

After the bridge, Neil shifted a bit towards Andrew and looked him in the eye. Andrew looked up at him, ready with any reply to his smartass quips, only to be stilled as Neil continued singing. It took Andrew a few seconds to fully realize that _Neil was singing directly to him_.

_Maybe it’s true that I can’t live without you  
Maybe two is better than one_

Neil’s eyes were full of— of _that thing_ again, and Andrew’s heart was heavier than he knew it to be. _Damn it, Josten_. Never mind how they must’ve looked like to the other Foxes. What mattered now was Andrew channeling all his efforts into not taking the microphone from Neil’s hands and kissing him. His grip on the couch’s armrest has never been this tight before.

The song slowed as the last chorus ended, and Neil looked away from Andrew as he caught the last few words on the screen. Andrew felt Neil’s grip on his knee tighten.

_There’s so much time to figure out the rest of my life_  
_But I’ve figured out, with all that’s said and done_  
_Two is better than one_  
_Two is better than one_

The audio of the song died, and applause and cheers came from the rest of the team. Kevin raised his vodka bottle in acknowledgement. Allison clasped her hands together and looked at the screen nervously.

A 95 came on to the screen, much to the amazement and disbelief of the entire team.

“What,” Aaron deadpanned, reaching for the songbook. “I thought this was Neil’s first time?”

“It was, asshole,” Neil shot back, removing his grip from Andrew’s knee and leaning back on the couch. “Maybe you all just suck.”

“This calls for another round of songs, then,” Nicky chirped, reaching for the remote and punching in his next song. Dan gave a thumbs up and smiled approvingly at Neil.

“He beat you, babe,” Dan pouted at Matt, who made a _not bad_ face.

Neil put his head on Andrew’s shoulder and sighed. Andrew felt the tension go out of his system and raised his arm up on the edge of the couch to let Neil lean on him better.

“How was that for the start of my singing career?” Neil commented, his words sending puffs of air onto Andrew’s chin.

“Terrible,” Andrew replied, sipping his vodka. “You wouldn’t last a minute in a recording session.”

He felt Neil grin against his hoodie’s sleeve. Andrew put a chip against Neil’s lips, and Neil took it from his hand.

“You know,” Neil said, crunching on the chip, “You can always compliment me on things I’m good at. Every once in a while, anyway. That’s how you’re going to keep me here.”

The feeling in Andrew’s chest continued to swell and spread throughout his whole body. He supposed it was the vodka. Or maybe it was just one of those nights. Neil being against him definitely contributed to _… whatever it was_ that he felt.

“What makes you say I _like_ having you around? You think too highly of yourself, junkie,” Andrew shot back. He tugged Neil closer to him and closed his eyes. “916%.”  



End file.
